Post by Dave FlowerPost by p***@infi.netN/S bid 1D-1H; 1NT-3NT and I had to lead from something like Axxx xx Qxx K10xx (team game, so no hand records, sorry.) I hate leading low from a four card suit against notrump so I decided to try the Bird-Anthias "double-dummy supreme" lead of the Ace of spades. Partner played low, discouraging, but I saw no appetizing switch. I continued a spade, partner cashed the King and Queen and switched to a club; we scored +150 for down 3. Our teammates went down 2, and a low spade would've worked as well. South commented she had not seen such a lead before and I replied "Neither have I!" In fairness I have had at least a couple of hands in the past few months where low from four would've worked out better than whatever I chose. But I think I'll continue to avoid such leads.
Well, I play that the lead of an ace (partner's suit excepted) calls for partner to drop their highest honour, failing that to show count.
Dave Flower
That, of course, is the classic rule, and the assumption is that an Ace in a weaker suit is likely sitting over a King or Queen and will simply capture air if you lead it. But on a double-dummy basis leading the Ace "to get a look at dummy" actually does, a fairly high percentage of the time, allow time to switch if needed. The Ace for unblock sort of suit rarely happens; can't recall using it more than once or twice in my life, and once or twice from partner. I did mention to my partners that I might be experimenting with untraditional leads and not to assume the Ace calls for an unblock.
In this case a low spade would've worked as well, but in the past I would probably have led a low club, keeping the Ace as a side entry. Our teammates were down 2, not sure what lead they got or where we managed the extra trick -- no hand records with shuffled deals, unfortunately.